Dr Grethel Aguilar assumed office as Acting Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in June 2019.

Dr Aguilar brings with her more than 25 years of experience in conservation and sustainable development, having worked extensively on developing and applying environmental law and policy in collaboration with governments and civil society. In particular, she is deeply passionate about the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

Through her work in field projects, Dr Aguilar has helped communities access clean water, advocated for environmental justice, assisted indigenous peoples in obtaining rights to their natural resources, and championed gender equality in environmental governance.

She most recently held the position of IUCN Regional Director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and provided support to the IUCN regional office in South America. Prior to joining IUCN Dr Aguilar was a member of the Costa Rican Environmental Law Center, then worked as a consultant for organisations such as the Central American Commission for Environment and Development, United Nations Environment Programme and various governments.

Dr Aguilar, a Costa Rican national, has authored multiple publications in the fields of environmental law and policy. She served as the 2018 Dorothy S. McCluskey Visiting Fellow in Conservation at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and in 2001 received the title of Doctor of Law Outstanding cum laude from the University of Alicante, Spain.